Vol. 1036 No. 3
55. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he will take to increase the number of apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15918/23]
My first question relates to apprenticeships. I ask the Minister to bring us up to date on what is happening in relation to apprenticeships and the steps he is taking to increase their number and to address the backlogs in the system.
I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her question. Increasing the number of people availing of apprenticeships is a key priority for me and my Department. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out the vision for apprenticeships. This includes new ways of structuring, funding and promoting apprenticeships to make them more accessible to employers and, crucially, to learners.
To date the programmes on offer through this model have expanded to address areas of skills shortages such as engineering, technology, logistics and fintech. The development of new apprenticeship programmes is intended to help deliver on the commitments made in the programme for Government to support and drive the economy while addressing the skills requirements identified in the economy. This is evidenced by the variety of apprenticeship programmes now available, totalling 66 programmes. Indeed, eight new programmes were launched over 2020 and 2021, despite pandemic restrictions and I want to acknowledge and thank all those who made that possible. A further four programmes were launched in 2022, meaning that 12 new programmes were launched between 2020 and 2022. An additional 12 programmes across technology, engineering, farming, horticulture and hospitality are planned for launch this year, with a further 12 behind that in various stages of development.
We passed amendments in this House to the Industrial Training Act of 1967 as part of the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 and this widened the scope for new apprenticeship programmes even further in an expanded range of sectors, including in agriculture.
Under budget 2023 an additional €30 million in funding was secured for apprenticeships. This will provide for 4,500 new registrations across both craft and consortia-led programmes. A further €400,000 is provided for social inclusion measures to help make the apprenticeship population more representative of the general population.
In 2022, we saw 8,286 registrations and an apprenticeship population of 26,000. I am really encouraged to say that so far this year, we have seen 1,301 new registrations to the end of February. That represents an increase of 30% on the same two months of last year.
I thank the Minister for his response. In 2016 the Government set a target of 9,000 annual apprenticeship registrations by 2020 but here we are in 2023, and we still have not reached that target. The Government set a new target of 10,000 in 2020. The Minister has said that we are making progress towards that but we have not even reached the old target. Back in 2016 we did not even understand the desperate need for construction skills that we would have today.
The Government has not substantially increased apprenticeships in the public and semi-State sector. Does every county council across the State employ apprentices? Have we a measure of that? The ESB appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science recently. The apprenticeship model used by the ESB in terms of involving national school, secondary school and beyond really needs to be extended to the local authorities.
First, we have never had more apprentice registrations than we saw in 2021. Registrations that year were the highest ever. That said, I appreciate the point the Deputy made. We obviously had the global pandemic but we are seeing a very significant acceleration of apprenticeships. The Deputy does not have to take my word for that. She can ask business groups around the country, the education and training boards, ETBs, with which she engages, the technological universities and the National Apprenticeship Office and they will confirm that there is real momentum behind increasing the numbers and also the composition of the numbers in terms of diversity. We are trying to diversify the apprenticeship population and there is a lot more work to be done on that in terms of gender. We are also trying to broaden the range of apprenticeships so they are not just seen as craft-related, although those are key, but in other areas as well.
I could not agree more with the Deputy in relation to public sector apprenticeships. From memory, we are at about 300 in the public sector but I will confirm that to the Deputy in writing. The plan sets a target of 750 public sector apprenticeships by 2025. To be quite frank, I am going to make a decision very shortly that if we cannot get there voluntarily, we will look at imposing a quota system to make sure everyone takes their fair share.
I really welcome that. If one takes the figure of 300, that is the number of apprenticeships the ESB alone does every year. The local authorities have been dragging their feet on this. We need to sit down with them, examine why that is the case and determine what are the blockages. We need to be able to facilitate the local authorities as well as giving them the responsibility for ensuring that more apprenticeships happen.
The Government has not used public procurement contracts to incentivise large construction companies to increase the number of apprentices they employ. There is a real onus on the Government to ensure this is a condition of public procurement contracts, which may require liaison with the EU. There is a connection between the missed apprenticeship targets and the housing targets. This has really come into focus in the last few months. If one looks at retrofitting and all of the things that we need apprentices and skilled people for, it is clear that we need to use every tool available to us.
I am not reopening another debate on housing but I would just point out that the Housing for All targets were met in the last calendar year. There are precisely 320 public sector apprenticeships as of now, with 100 more planned for this year. If we include the semi-State sector as well, the total is 938 apprenticeships. There are 938 apprentices in the public and semi-State sectors combined. There are 320 in the public sector alone, with another 100 to be added.
I had a very interesting meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, and other individual unions in recent weeks. We need both the carrot and stick here. There is a need for all parts of the public sector to step up and do more. Some really have done so but others have not. There is also a need for me, on behalf of the Government, to better understand any of the blockages that they encounter and how we can overcome them. I am very confident that we will get to the target of 750 by 2025. In fact, I see it as absolutely vital and how we get there is something I intend to bottom out over the next few weeks. I am expecting to bring a memo to Government on public sector apprenticeships between now and the summer.
We will move on.
We could talk about apprenticeships all day.
Yes, absolutely.
56. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline his strategy for addressing student accommodation ahead of the next academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15919/23]
In this question I am asking the Minister to outline the strategy for addressing student accommodation ahead of the next academic year. What is he doing to ensure that students have accommodation and will be able to attend the college or university of their choice in September or October?
I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Indeed, that is probably an understatement. A unit has been established within my Department and there is really good engagement going on with both the traditional and the technological universities. We all know the challenges involved. The increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability and as a result, a number of universities made decisions to pause accommodation projects. In response to these challenges, on 29 November last I received Government approval on both short- and medium-term policy responses. These are landmark policy responses because for the first time the State will provide financial support for the construction of student accommodation. It is right and proper that the State does this. The interesting question is why it had not been done before, in the history of our State. It is important that the State is much more hands-on.
In the short term the Government has approved funding to support the development of 1,065 beds for students at the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway. In addition to these, we are now working with University College Dublin, UCD, Trinity College Dublin, TCD, and University College Cork, UCC, on proposals they are bringing forward. It is interesting that the decision of 29 November seems to have whetted the appetite as well. These proposals are in addition to the 1,794 student accommodation beds delivered last year. A further 929 beds are due to open in Cork and Galway before the start of the next academic year in September.
In addition to this, I am also informed that there are 2,057 additional beds currently under construction through private developments. In addition to stimulating purpose-built student accommodation by higher education institutions, my Department is encouraging the bringing on stream of additional units through minor capital grants through the promotion and utilisation of the digs rent-a-room scheme, which I believe is working for more than 1,000 students. The recent extension to the rent-a-room scheme means income generated is now disregarded for social welfare and for student grant assessment purposes which was a change I committed to making as well. This week approval was given to disregard this income for medical card assessment purposes and also to allow local authority tenants to access the scheme.
I welcome the shift in Government policy in regard to investment in student accommodation. That is what we as a party have wanted for a long time. Will the Minister confirm that at the end of 2019, there were 28,414 student accommodation units registered with the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB? However, at the end of 2021 that number was down to 21,681. That was a decline of 7,000 beds. How many student accommodation units are registered with the RTB for 2022? Those figures have not been made publicly available yet but we urgently need that information. Where have the 7,000 student beds gone? Student-specific accommodation was given €88 million in tax breaks by the Government since it came into power in 2011. They should not have been allowed simply to alter their use.
The RTB is not under my remit but I will seek that information. It is important to have that information. If I secure that information, I will share it with Deputy Conway-Walsh. From memory I know that my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, issued a circular in regard to ensuring that student accommodation was utilised for that purpose. There is possibly an issue that some private developments could now be used as part of the humanitarian response in regard to Ukraine but I will check that and come back to the Deputy with more information. We have seen a significant shift in policy because student accommodation does not just benefit students, it benefits the overall housing supply because it frees up accommodation rented by students in the private rental market. There is a double benefit to it. We have managed to unlock projects that were stuck and have been stuck for some time in Limerick, in Dublin City University, DCU, most recently, in Maynooth University and in University of Galway.
Within the technological university sector, which is of interest to the Deputy's constituency, we have now provided €1 million for that sector to bring in their experts. I was in the South East Technological University, in Waterford, this week. That is going to bring forward plans to deliver 500 beds in Waterford. Now that we have a model and a template I expect this to keep rolling in regard to Government interventions to get more projects over the line. We certainly will not be found wanting as those proposals come forward.
The most important question is whether there is less or more student accommodation in the system. Sometimes from the way it is presented we give the impression that there is more but really there is less. When we look at the increase in the number of students, we have to recognise the issue that exists because this August and September will be the Minister's third year in the role. I do not want a situation where we do not have enough student accommodation.
The other issue I want the Minister to look at is the legislation around the room-to-rent scheme. We need to address the emergency we ran into last year but we have to look at legislation around that to ensure students are treated properly, that accommodation is up to standard and that the rules and regulations around that give a life to students that is conducive to their learning environment. I heard some anecdotal evidence that is not how it is presented at the moment. Will the Minister look at that legislation?
What I have responsibility for is the higher education sector, the actual direct college-owned student accommodation. There is more of that this year than there was last year, which had more than the year before that. There is more now than there was before I entered office. On the purpose-built student accommodation piece, the Deputy’s point about the private market is not an unreasonable or unimportant point, but I made the policy change because I do not believe student accommodation policy can be reliant on private builds, for a number of reasons. One of the reasons the Deputy highlighted was variability. Another reason is cost. The rent-a-room scheme seems to be working. I have heard real-life examples both from students and from people renting out the room. I want to make sure that students are protected. I do not want to do anything that might cause unintended consequences, particularly perhaps for an older person who has the spare room. I have heard people talking in the media who say they are likely to rent it out but if there is a lot of bureaucracy they will not. It is about getting that balance right. I know the Deputy shares that view. I will meet with student union bodies and Union of Students in Ireland to see if we can find a way forward on that.
57. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to the recently announced pathway for learners initiative as part of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster, the plans there are for expanding the collaboration within the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15406/23]
This question relates to the newly formed North West Tertiary Education Cluster, which involves Atlantic Technological University, ATU, Donegal ETB, the North West Regional College and Ulster University, and how the Minister sees this developing into the future to benefit both sides of the Border. How will that work? What does the Minister believe will happen?
I thank Deputy Pringle for raising these issues on a regular basis in terms of how we can try to get that education cluster in the north west going. Deputy Pringle may be aware that I spoke at the launch of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster last October. That was an opportunity to meet with and thank the leadership of Atlantic Technological University of Donegal, Donegal ETB, the University of Ulster and the North West Regional College, which are the main partners. This cluster builds on what is already a strong history of further and higher education collaboration in the region. It has already led to progression paths, including cross-Border paths for learners in the north west. They have not been waiting around. They have actually got on with it already. They have a number of pathways in place and I commend them on that. We have now recently established a National Tertiary Office within the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and SOLAS, which is important because it provides the ability to move from further and higher education and not have them sided away. It is an office that spans both higher education and SOLAS as well. They are charged with looking at how we can develop new further and higher education degree programmes. I have no doubt from my contact with it that the National Tertiary Office will welcome any proposals from the North West Tertiary Education Cluster. Given the track record of co-operation already in the north west, I have no doubt that this region will be well placed to demonstrate the benefits to learners of enhanced collaboration.
We have set aside an additional €2 million in the current year in ongoing funding to underpin the work of the National Tertiary Office. There are very specific opportunities in the context of North-South relationships to build on tertiary education and research strengths in the north west. We suggest that cluster should come forth with proposals to try to draw down from that funding. I am happy on foot of this question to meet and try to fully support them in any way that I can.
I should also say that we have specific commitments as a Government to the New Decade, New Approach. In conjunction with the shared island initiative, my Department is exploring actively opportunities with both the University of Ulster, specifically the Magee campus, and ATU in Letterkenny, to see if there is a possibility there of trying to advance the very clear commitments that both Governments gave in New Decade, New Approach, to do more in the education space.
I thank the Minister for his response. That is a welcome development and provides huge potential. However, in the context of Donegal and what was Letterkenny IT, we were here before. Unfortunately matters fell by the wayside. The whole development of the ATU was looking away from the cross-Border element and we need to get back to that. That is why this is a welcome development. I know the Minister said it is not the case but with the formation of the new National Tertiary Office, we want to make sure that we do not go back to looking back from the Border again in the future. No matter what happens, the development for the region is going to take place. That has to be an integral part of this new National Tertiary Office as well. It will have many issues to look at on a national basis but the cross-Border element has to be an important and signature part of it. It is not something that can be looked away from at any stage in the future.
I fully agree with the Deputy. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, one of the key areas where we can do a great deal more to embed peace and to try to create economic prosperity, well-being, good jobs and skills is in the cross-Border area. It makes sense, for example, to undertake medical education. Without deviating too much from the question, it makes sense that doctors working in Letterkenny should be able to access the medical school in North West Regional College. I have stood in the new medical school in Ulster University, Derry. It is state of the art. It makes sense. Both myself and the Minister for Health are trying to arrive at a point where we can do all-island medical education.
It makes sense for apprenticeships to be done on an all-island basis. This year we will see cross-Border apprenticeship programmes happening for the first time. I want the National Tertiary Office to be seen not as a top-down diktat kind of office. It is the opposite. It is a fund to encourage people to pitch into and draw down from.
It is a structure to prompt the regions to say what ideas they have about how they can join up education in the various regions. They can then come to us for the funding and support to help make that happen. We have already seen some examples of that with ATU Letterkenny and the new courses this year.
There is huge potential there. It has been growing continuously with the support of Donegal County Council, the North West Region Cross Border Group, and so on. It is not the Minister's intention, and I hope it is not the intention of the office, but the office should always look at matters on an all-island basis and not turn its back on that in future. We hope things will not go wrong in terms of the economics and stuff like that, but it has happened in the past, unfortunately, and that has set things back a wee bit. We are beyond that now and I hope we will stay beyond that and that this situation does not arise in future, because there is huge potential there. Letterkenny, Derry, Strabane and so on have huge potential as well. Education must be a vital part of that to make it happen and make it work. There are already thousands of Donegal students at the North West Regional College in Derry, so it is happening on the ground and we just need to ensure it keeps on growing.
Not to get ahead of myself, but I know from conversations I have had with the UU, ATU, the shared island unit and others that there is a strong and exciting pipeline of projects coming from both ATU Letterkenny and UU Derry with respect to things they can do together. These are in the research space and the medical education space, especially. The senior management teams of both ATU Donegal and UU Derry are meeting to develop a proposal to try to meet the Government's commitment to contribute to the capital investment to support extended provision of the campus and also to address the progress with the linked commitment on the part of the Northern Ireland Executive to bring forward proposals for the development and expansion of the UU Magee campus. This will include the necessary increase in the maximum number of students to realise the 10,000-student campus target and a graduate-entry medical school.
We now have a university in ATU, a university in Derry and an ability to interconnect. I would love to come and visit Letterkenny. I would also love to come and see the campus in Killybegs the Deputy and I talked about and see how we can really get the north west going. I will be in touch with him to arrange that.
